Moment entitled tourists grab reins of King's Guard horse... but then regrets it
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Two naive tourists were in for a shock reaction from a King's Guard after they attempted to grab the reins of his horse while posing for a photograph.
In the first incident, a bearded man wearing a blue waterproof jacket, smiled as he approached the disciplined military animal at Horse Guards Parade in London.
But just seconds after touching the leather straps of the reins, the usually silent King's Guard sitting on the horse suddenly screamed out: 'Go away!'
A tense look between the two men then followed, with the man - who looked visibly shocked at the outburst - recovering himself to stand back in position and smile for a quick photograph.
With the picture taken, the man's smile quickly dropped and he looked back again at the ceremonially-dressed soldier before walking away.
In a second incident, a female tourist wearing a grey jumper and trousers attempted the same feat and grabbed at the reigns of the animal while posing for a photograph.
This prompts the King's Guard to scream out at the entitled tourist: 'Don't hold the reins!'
But after the tourist failed to react to his words, he motioned to the horse to step forward, causing the woman to recoil in fright. Determined still to get her photo, she stood close to the horse but looked tense as the image was taken.
This latest episode at the popular tourist destination follows a string of incidents where sightseers have got to close for comfort with the regal animals.
The horses - which have signs next to them saying 'Beware, horses may kick or bite. Don't touch the reins. Thank you.' - have been known to bite unfamiliar people when they get too close to them.
Earlier this month, a Spanish tourist was scolded by the King's Guard after she repeatedly flapped her umbrella to agitate his horse.
The young woman clad in a rain coat was seen turning to laugh with her friends after quickly opening and closing the umbrella in front the animal.
After provoking the animal, the King's Guard sitting on the horse then calls the emergency bell several times while trying to calm his horse.
He repeatedly strokes the animal and pats their back while he waits for two other guards to appear on foot.
The soldier then alerts them of the reckless tourist and after a few moments of identification, the guard walks over to the woman.
He then calmly tells her 'we'd appreciate it if you don't flap that in the horses faces'.
The sheepish tourist was then told her flapping 'can spark a reaction out of the horses and they're just doing their job'.
'They're nice to look at but please be respectful, they are doing a job,' the guard added.
Last month, a female tourist was trying to pose for a photo outside the Household Cavalry Museum in London when she was forced to dodge the horse as it moved in to nip her in the face.
The woman, wearing a bright pink coat and hat, can be seen stroking the horse on the face, which appears to wind the animal up.
On this occasion, the horse tries to nip her on the shoulder, forcing her to step backwards.
Determined to connect with the horse, the woman then moves back towards the animal but gets more than she bargained for.
The horse is seen throwing its head up in the air before this time lunging at the tourist's face, leaving her stunned by the near miss.
And last summer, another female tourist was bitten on the arm by one of the King's Guard's horses and dragged her in closer.
The tourist let out a scream and was flung back towards a group of other holidaymakers filming the horse.
After being bitten, she fell to her knees and clutched her arm as other tourists surrounded her trying to help.
And in another incident, a tourist was thrown backwards by the force of a horse's bite on her chest as she posed for a photo.
Footage from May last year shows the woman putting her hand on the horse's neck while posing for a photograph.
The horse then swings its head towards the woman before clamping down on her saree.
She stumbles backwards in shock after being bitten and very nearly falls over, but steadies herself by putting her hands back on the stone wall.
Member's of the King's Guard are usually under strict instruction not to interact with tourists but they have become known in recent years for their furious commands for tourists to get out of the way or not get too close.
However in a video that went viral, a guard who is wearing his customary plumed helmet, salutes a blind boy by stamping his foot.
In the footage, the boy walks over to the guard while guided by a voice off-camera and stamps his foot to salute the guard.
The child can be heard saying 'have a good day' to the guard before leaving.
The King's Guard is made up of elite serving soldiers who guard Buckingham Palace and St James's Palace.
